I see you | A Klaroline Love Story

Ch II

“I know,” Klaus replied, “I have your photo.” He held out the picture for Caroline to see. She took it cautiously. It was taken just before her 18th birthday. She was laughing in the photo, but she couldn’t remember why. When she turned the photo over, she saw her name written on the back. Klaus’ handwriting.

Caroline handed the photo back to Klaus and he put it carefully back into his pocket. “I have no idea where you got this photo of me, Klaus.”

“Neither do I.” He smiled that half-grin Klaus smile that Caroline had always secretly loved. He could see her trying her best not to smile back, but she did, ever so slightly.

When Matt came and took a seat beside her, she nearly jumped out of her skin. She had almost forgotten he was in the room. 

He spoke to Klaus, “why don’t you just tell us what you know.”

“What is the first thing you remember?” Caroline added.

Everything was a bit fuzzy, but Klaus tried to recall the first morning. “It’s a little hard to remember that first day, I was so confused. I remember waking up in a bed, in a huge house. I didn’t recognize anything. I had no idea where I was. Then, as I fully woke up, I realized I didn’t remember anything. Who I was, where I was from, what city I was in. Everything gone, like I had never existed.” Then Klaus’ face changed, like he was remembering some horrible thing.

“What is it? What happened next, Klaus.” Caroline had the overwhelming urge to comfort him, but she stayed where she was and didn’t move.

“I walked around in the house, trying to figure out what was going on. I learned a little: my name, what city I was in, I found some photos, family I think; but after a while I got hungry.”

Caroline hadn’t even considered this. Klaus had had no knowledge of vampires. This would’ve been almost comical had he not looked so troubled.

“I didn’t understand until I took my first drink of blood.” Klaus’ voice dropped, Caroline wasn’t sure if Matt could hear him. “I killed her. And others since.” Klaus looked at Caroline, waiting for a reaction.

She was taken over by a feeling of sadness, and wasn’t quite sure how to respond. She just looked at him. Klaus, ashamed to take a life; saddened by the death of strangers at his own hand. This is when everything really sunk in and she realized this was happening; the old Klaus was really gone.

Caroline reached out and took Klaus’ hand, which seemed to surprise and confuse him. “Klaus, it’s okay. I can help you.”

“You’re like me, aren’t you? I thought I could tell before when you first walked in.”

“I am,” she replied with a half-smile, “and there lots more. More vampires.”

Klaus looked relieved, “I’ve been lost for months trying to find you. I had a feeling when I saw you in the photo, like you were someone important, someone I could trust.”

Caroline looked at Matt, who had been quiet this whole time. He didn’t look half-interested. She turned back to Klaus, “you can trust me, Klaus.”

When Caroline volunteered to take in Klaus into her own home, she had surprised even herself. So far, the car ride home had been quiet, and slightly uncomfortable. “This is only for a little while, Klaus. You can’t just move in.” He nodded his head in agreement. “I just think you should get a little help from someone who knows you, knew you, before you go on alone.”

“What do you mean by help by help, exactly?”

“Well, with being a vampire, for starters. You have to learn to be careful, learn to control your thirst, have you figured out how to compel yet?” Klaus’ didn’t understand. “That’s the fun part; Along with the speed and strength and immortality. There are perks to this, Klaus. You just have to learn how to control yourself.”